I was pretty young when I started praying for my marriage. In the beginning my “prayers” were basically thoughts and wishes—the longings of a teenager who didn’t know God personally or how He operates.

But when I met the Lord, my prayers took on greater form and substance because now I had a real relationship with the One who heard them. Over the years my prayer life has grown richer and deeper, and I’ve learned the power of declaring God’s will.

Speaking the will of the Lord over your life, your future, your job, your children, your spouse, and everything that belongs to you is incredibly potent and results in blessing.

In this article, I want to talk about making declarations over your marriage, even when you’re single.

But first let’s talk about what declarations are NOT.

When I talk about declarations, I don’t mean making something up and declaring it will happen. “Well, I’m lonely and I don’t want to be single anymore, so I’m going to declare I’ll be married by Christmas.”

Some people think that’s what declarations are—knowing what you want and declaring it will happen.

But that is not what it means to declare God’s will.

When we make declarations about our marriage, our spouse, our finances, or anything else, the goal is to speak God’s will. Not our will, but His. In this way, everything we say lines up with His heart and what He wants for our lives.

That is what gives us true boldness—we’re declaring what He has said and not simply what sounds good to us in the moment.

The very act of making declarations draws us closer to Jesus because we have to know what He’s saying.

At the end of the day, which is more important: having what God wants or having what we want?

It is better to seek after God, His will, and what He says because He sees the end from the beginning. He knows the future so much better than we do, and He wants to help us prepare for it. Declarations are one way we can prepare.

Steve Backlund writes in his book Declarations: Unlocking Your Future:

We are pulled in the direction of the words we speak… What destination do you want to be at in life in five years?

When we declare God’s will over our marriage, we are engaging our will with His, tapping into His authority and the holy boldness that comes from Him.

Here are a few things to keep in mind with declarations:  

1. Even negative words are powerful.

The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Prov. 18:21)

Honestly, most people don’t understand this concept very well. When they’re annoyed at themselves or their circumstances, they speak according to their emotions in the moment. “That guy is such a jerk. I can’t do anything right. I hate how I’m such a loser. No one would ever want to marry me.”

That kind of speech is poison, and it invites the enemy to come in and make things even worse for the speaker.

2. You get to declare life.

When we declare what the Bible says, we are speaking life. Speaking out God’s truth helps us believe His truth even more.

With your marriage, you can declare what you know God has told you—about your future, about your spouse, etc. Some people call this contending. What do you know is true? Find out what God’s will is for you, align your will with His, and speak what He’s shown you.

You could declare something like this: “I believe and declare that God has great plans for my life. I know He has an amazing husband for me who loves Him and will be good for me, to help me grow as a woman.”

Or “I declare God’s will for my life, and I believe His will for me is good—better than anything I have imagined so far. I am going to marry a wonderful woman, and I don’t have to worry about being single.”

3. Declarations can help you overcome fear.

You can speak the will of God over anything—your thoughts, circumstances, desires, the dreams He’s put in your heart.

Whenever I find myself dealing with fear or some other spiritual power that wants to come against me, I’ve learned to declare God’s will quickly, knowing His will for me is always good. 

When I am afraid, I need to remember what is true and real and not allow the enemy to make me run and hide.

Remember:

1. His will does not come with fear (2 Tim. 1:7).

2. His will is good, pleasing, and perfect (Rom. 12:2).

If you’re struggling with fear about being married, being single, being alone, or anything else, declaring aloud Bible-based statements like these will help you step out of fear and into strength:

• I am strong and courageous because God is with me everywhere I go (Deut. 31:6).

• I trust in the Lord with all my heart (Prov. 3:5).

• I have perfect peace because I trust in God (Isa. 26:3).

See? That’s it. You declare God’s truth, and because He’s the One who said it, you know it will happen.

Spend time in God’s Word and make a list of the verses that stand out to you. From that list, write declarations that ring true in your spirit—words of life that line up with God’s will for you.

 

Interested in reading more? Here are a few other articles on related topics:

• How to Be the Healthiest You as You Prepare for Marriage

• Why Is It Good to Let Men Pursue?

• When Waiting for Your Future Spouse Gets Tough

For more information on sex, marriage, and finding the person who is right for you, get a copy of Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more.

You can also order the book in Spanish. Click here.